Sunday, August 30, 2015

"Her
name is now more revered than that of any other sovereign this land has
ever had. She was killed above 250 years ago, about 12 miles from
Jabalpur, while gallantly leading on her troops in their third and last
attempt to stem the torrent of Muhammadan invasion.Her tomb is still
to be seen where she fell, in a narrow defile between two hills ; and a
pair of large rounded stones** which stand near are, according to popular
belief, her royal drums turned into stone, which, in the dead of night,
are still heard resounding through the woods, and calling the spirits
of her warriors from their thousand graves around her.The travellers
who pass this solitary spot respectfully place upon the tomb the
prettiest specimen they can find of the crystals which abound in the
neighbourhood ; and, with so much of kindly feeling had the history of
Durgavati inspired me, that I could not resist the temptation of adding
one to the number when I visited her tomb some sixteen years ago.

"

-- Homage to Rani Durgawati

By Sir Williams, December 1835

Major General, British Bengal Army Regiment

Honored 'Knight of the Order of the Bath' by the British Crown

** - Picture and information about this famous pair of rocks is present at the end of this post.

Married at 18.A mother at 19.A widow at 24.A glorious death at 40.Prologue:In her magnificent rule of 16 years, Rani Durgawati achieved all that a woman could desire in that medieval age and reached the zenith of her popularity, which continues to this day. Her
rule in Gondwana* became synonymous with justice, tolerance,
beneficence and patriotism. She was an extremely beautiful woman, a
heroic Rajputni, a benevolent queen, and an able administrator. She led her armies personally, and was equally adept at riding a horse or an elephant as her war vehicle. The
forces of Gondwana always emerged spectacularly victorious against the
superior forces of the Surs of Delhi, Baz Bahadur of Malwa, the Afghans
of Bengal, and several adversaries of the Deccan. She did not lose even 1 of the 51 wars she fought in her reign of 16 years,
and she treated the defeated enemy with generosity, at times bestowing
upon them rich gifts and rewards - keeping with the tradition of Rajputs.Her last battle was against "a team of 7 generals" of Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1564. Her
battle cry against the Mughal forces underscores her indomitable
courage and her willingness to even sacrifice her life for the sake of
the independence and self-respect of her homeland:"~..Better to die with glory, than live with ignominy..~ "

Statue of Rani Durgawati with bow and arrow, at her Samadhi

* - Gondwana is in
present-day Madhya Pradesh state of India. During the 16th century, it was a part of Rajputana. The
size of her state : east-west 250 miles; north-south 120 miles. She
ruled a huge territory. According
to Abu'l Fazl - " The east part of this country adjoins Ratan­pur,
which belongs to Jharkhand, and the west is contiguous to
Raisin, which belongs to the province of Malwa in Gujarat. Its length
may
be 150 koss. On the north is the country of Pannah, and on the
south the Deccan. Its width may be 80 koss. The country is called
Gadha Katanga. It is an extensive tract and is full of forts,
and contains populous cities and towns, so that truthful narrators
have stated that Gadha Katanga contained 70,000 inhabited villages.
Among these, Gadha is a large city whilst Katanga is a village.
The country has become known by this double name. The capital
is the fortress of Chauragarh."

Extent of Rani Durgawati's kingdom of Gondwana .. Scan from Akbarnama

Ruins
of the Madan Mahal Fort at Jabalpur...Used as a Watch Tower by Rani
Durgawati. The fort is an excellent piece of architecture. Judicious use of
natural rocks and basaltic stones renders strength to the structure. This portrait is from India(1884) - Earth and
Inhabitants.

Her Personality: An Accomplished Warrior - An Able & Tolerant Administrator - Patron of ArtsWhen
clad in full armour she rode on to the battle field, the enemy often fled before a shot was fired. To her people, she became a
symbol, a cause for which they were prepared to shed the last drop of
their blood. According to Abu'l Fazl, she was a good shot with both gun and
arrow and enjoyed hunting animals with her gun. Here lay the
secret of her power and popularity. The Gonds, an unsophisticated tribe
who formed the natives of her kingdom, proud of their bow-and-arrow
culture, adored her. Everyone of their 70,000 inhabited villages was at
once a bastion of defence and a cog in a hard-hitting war machine. In her prime, she
had at her beck and call an army of nearly 70,000 men and 2,500
elephants. The support which the Gonds gave to Rani Durgawati was very
similar to what the Bhil tribals of the Aravalli Hills gave to Maharana
Pratap later on. She was great not
only in war, but in peace as well. Efficient control and management of
production in 23,000 cultivated villages gave the little kingdom
self-sufficiency in food and other essential items. Durgawati knew the
headman of every village by name. She made it a point to personally look
into the grievances of her subjects and give redress, where possible,
on the spot. The old and the young virtually worshipped her as a goddess
of justice, and frequently made visits to the capital fortress of
Chauragarh to steal a glimpse of their Maharani.

Rani Durgawati's administration...Scan from Akbarnama

Statue of Bir Narayan, son of Rani Durgawati

Early Life, Lineage and Marriage:She was born
in 1524 in the Kalinjar Fort of Banda, in present-day Uttar Pradesh, to
the Chandel Rajput*** ruler Raja Salbhan of Rahatgarh / Mahoba in Bundelkhand,
who traced his lineage to the "Maharaja of Maharajas" who ruled over Central
India in the beginning of the 8th century. The 16th-century wars
against Baz Bahadur and other rulers in the region weakened Raja Salbhan's
authority and drained his coffers. In desperation, he sought an alliance
with Raja Aman Das, who possessed neither fabulous riches nor the
'expensive' traditions of a Hindu royal house. The only virtues Raja Aman
Das possessed were his self-respect and his word of honour. Circumstances
compelled him to marry his daughter in marriage to the Gond prince
Dalpat Rai. She was married in 1542 to Raja
Dalpat of Gondwana. The couple was blessed with a son in 1543 and named
Bir Narayan. Bir Narayan was just five years old when his father died in 1548.

Here
was a marriage rooted in
the compulsions of penury. Mindful of her obligations, Durgawati
applied herself to strengthening the economy and military power of
Gondwana, and in the process, won the respect and admiration of her
people.

The following is a folkLore about Rani Durgawati and Raja Dalpat Rai. People
believed theirs was a combination, which matched Lord Ram and his
consort Sita, thereby bringing immense prosperity to the kingdom of
Gondwana.

Her father-in-law died in 1541. Her husband ruled for just 7 years
and died soon after. At the young age of 24, Durgawati was left alone to handle the vast
kingdom, and her 5 year old son. By the time her husband died in 1548, she had earned so much respect
that the ministers themselves called
upon her to don the mantle of regent and assume responsibility on behalf
of her son to maintain the independence of the kingdom. On reaching maturity, Bir Narayan left the reins of government in the hands of his popular mother and served under her. *** - Some interesting details about Chandel Rajputs are given at the end of this post.

Madan
Mahal, the palace of Rani Durgawati in Jabalpur. The architecturally
well-designed rooms in front of the main structure probably
lodged the military troops of the rulers who stayed here. The
maintenance and
protection of this historic monument has been undertaken by
Archaeological
Survey of India. This is an 1865 photograph by G.W. Laurie.

Her Qualities and Prowess Impress Akbar: The
ancestors of Raja Dalpat Rai had ruled over Gadha-Katanga since the
12th century without a break. They were not among the richest, but,
"were
fiercely 'patriotic', and considered the independence of their land as a
gift of God to be preserved at any cost". Durgawati identified herself
with their aspirations and, during the 16 years of her rule as regent,
carved out for herself an everlasting place in the history of the
kingdom.The
stories of Durgawati's heroism and dauntless courage, especially in her
wars against Baz Bahadur, aroused Akbar's curiosity. Not only did she
repeatedly defeat Baz Bahadur in the west, but she was also able to inflict
crushing defeats on the dreaded Afghans of Bengal in the east.
It should be noted that even the famous and experienced general of
Akbar, Munim Khan, and a team of 12 generals were not able to subjugate
the Afghans in 1575. Later, Akbar had to personally march along with
re-inforcements. Akbar was
impressed. He wanted to meet her — not as an equal but in the capacity
of an overlord and bestow upon her the honours and gifts her status
warranted. He wanted her to accept Mughal suzerainty and serve the
Mughal Empire. To that end, he sent emissaries to Chauragarh, but to no
avail. Durgawati refused to acknowledge Mughal suzerainty, much less
travel to Agra to pay homage to the Mughal Emperor. Durgawati's Refusal to Accept Mughal Suzerainty Infuriates Akbar:Akbar
was infuriated. He ordered one of his foremost & favorite generals,
Asaf Khan, to mount an invasion on Gondwana and bring the Rani, alive
rather than dead, to his court. Asaf Khan served in other important
campaigns also, like the 3rd Siege of Chittor. He remained in high favour
of Akbar till 1576, when he suffered a reverses in the Haldighati campaign agiainst
Maharana Pratap. Akbar, in anger, debarred
Asaf Khan along with Raja Man Singh from the Mughal court after the
Haldighati battle. Let us reserve this story for another day.

Abu'l Fazl's Praise of Rani Durgawati in Akbarnama:Abu'l Fazl writes in the Akbarnama- " The sover­eignty
of that country had come to a woman
named Durgavati, who was generally known as the Rani. She was
distinguished for courage, counsel and munificence, and by virtue
of these elect qualities she had brought the whole of that country
under her sway. I have heard from experienced men who had been
there that 23,000 cultivated villages were in her possession, and that
in 12,000 of these she had resident governors. The
remainder were subordinate to her, and their headmen were under
her control. She was the daughter of Raja Salbahan of Ratanpur and
Mahoba, who was a Chandel Rajput by caste.Rani Durgavati
in concurrence with her loyal ministers Adhar Kayath and Man Brahman gave her son
the title of Raja and exercised the real authority herself. She
neglected no point of courage or capacity, and did great things by
dint of her far-seeing abilities.She fought wars and had great contests with Baz
Bahadur and the Mianas, and was always victorious. She had 20,000
good cavalry with her in her battles, and 1000 famous
elephants. The treasures equivalent of many of the Rajas were in her
hands. She was a good shot with gun and arrow, and continually
went a hunting, and shot animals of the chase with her gun. It was
her custom that whenever she heard that a tiger had made his
appearance, she did not drink water till she had shot him. There
are stories current in Hindustan of her feasts and her frays. "

Account of Rani Durgawati from Akbarnama

Ruins of the Madan Mahal Fort at Jabalpur

Unprovoked Mughal Attack on Rani Durgawati..To Fight 1 Rani, 7 Generals are sent, including the favorite Asaf Khan:The
Mughal attack on Rani Durgavati was unprovoked, but Abu'l Fazl gives a
futile reason for the attack: " The Rani had one
great fault, to wit, she, owing to a crowd of flatterers, became
proud of her outward success, and did not submit herself at the
threshold of the Shahinshah. "Akbar
knew defeating Rani Durgawati was not an easy task. Hence, he sent 6
other major commanders along with Asaf Khan to fight her. Abu'l Fazl
gives the names of those 6 Mughal generals :

The other
adversaries of the Rani whom she had defeated earlier were also included
in their train. Now all the enemies of Rani Durgavati had joined
hands. Badayuni's Twist to the Tale..A Different Reason for the Attack on Rani Durgawati ??Badayuni gives a slightly different reason for Asaf Khan's attack on Rani Durgawati: " Rani Durgawati, by name, was a lady of great loveliness and grace, and in the prime
of her beauty, who held the government of the place.Asaf Khan marched against the district of Gadha-Katanga.
This district at that time contained 70,000 inhabited villages,
and its metropolis was the fortress of Chauragarh. It is 70 miles west of Jabalpur."

The picture shows Rani Durgavati. She holds a flower in her left hand. An inscription is
written at the top of the painting. The picture is present in the Government Museum, Chennai.

A Chauvinist Asaf Khan Resolves to Humiliate Rani Durgawati:Unlike Akbar, Asaf
Khan was narrow-minded in both thought and application. He set out not to subdue Rani
Durgawati through tact and persuasion, but to humiliate her on the
battlefield. Asaf Khan was the Mughal governor of the neighbouring area
of Karra Manikpur, near modern-day city of Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh state
of India.A "woman" ruling over such a vast territory in "that medieval age" was an impediment to the unquestioned supremacy of a "man".The numerical
superiority of his forces blinded him to the role of diplomacy, and he
went headlong, in command of a massive force of men, horses and
elephants, to drub Rani Durgawati into submission. But Asaf Khan, had
not yet tasted the mettle Rani Durgawati was made of.

This painting from Akbarnama shows Asaf Khan
leading the Mughal forces in 1564 against Rani Durgavati, the ruler of
the Gond Kingdom of Middle India. The
female ruler of Gondwana fell to the Mughal forces after a fiercely contested battle, leading even her enemies to admire her extraordinary bravery.

Account of Gondwana's Plunder by Asaf Khan from the Akbarnama:Asaf
Khan did not directly attack the Rani. He started by trying to
purchase her soldiers and officers, and by looting and plundering the borders
of her kingdom. However, the vigilant Rani came to know of this and
punished the ones who were involved in this act of treason. Writes Abu'l Fazl -"When
Asaf Khan was near at hand, he kept open the gates of friendship
and intimacy and sent spies and experienced traders into her country
and made investigations about her revenue and her expenditure.
When he knew the truth about her abundant collections of treasure,
and her hidden stores, the desire of lordship over the country entered
his mind, and he longed to "embrace the bride of the territories". He
began with coquetry and toying, and "put out his hand to touch the
down and the mole of the beauty of Gondwana", i.e., he began by
attacking and plundering the villages and hamlets on the borders.At length, he in
this year by the orders of the Shahinshah,
collected 10,000 cavalry and abundant infantry and girded up the
loins of endeavour for the conquest of Gaḍha. Muib Ali Khan, Muammad
Murad Khan, Wazir Khan, Babai Qaqshal, Nasir Bahadur, Aq Muhammed, and a
large number of holders of fiefs in that
quarter accompanied him in accordance with the royal order."

Account of initial combat of Rani Durgwati and Mughal Forces

Account of the Initial Combat from the Akbarnama:Rani
Durgawati was not only a distinguished warrior with guns, sword, and
bow and arrow, but also an administrator with a brilliant mind
and sound warfare tactics. She knew how, when and where to engage the
enemy in attack and nullify the strength of its superiority. Despite
having a small number of soldiers in comparison with the Mughals, she
did not lose heart.Abu'l
Fazl's account, though full of high praise for the Mughal army, does
provide a glimpse of the Rani's understanding of military tactics. He
writes - "When the news arrived that the victorious
royal army {the Mughal army} had reached Damoh, which is one of the important cities
of the country - a stone of dispersal fell into the midst of her pride,
and her soldiers scattered in order to defend their families. Not
more than 500 men remained with her. As soon as she heard of the
event, the Rani in her courage proceeded towards the victorious
army and, with the rashness which outruns arrogance, went forward
to welcome a battle. Adhar, who had charge of her administration,
spoke to her like a well-wisher of dominion and unfolded the circum­stances
of the desertion of the soldiers and of the largeness of the
royal army. The Rani replied that the desertion was due to his
stupidity, and asked how she, who had for years governed the
country, could resolve upon flight? She said - "It was better to die with glory
than to live with ignominy. If the just king {Akbar} were here in person, it
would have been proper for her to wait upon him. What did that
fellow Asaf Khan know of her rank? It was altogether best that
she should die bravely."

Death of Arjun Das and Entry of Rani Durgawati in the War

Rani Durgawati: "Either I Would Conquer or I Would Fall.""She advanced four stages towards the
victorious army. Asaf Khan, who was marching rapidly, halted in
Damoh. The Rani had collected 2000 men. Her officers unani­mously
said that it was noble to determine upon war, but that it was
not in accordance with courage and prudence to let fall the thread
of deliberation. It was proper to stay in some secure place and to
await the reassembling of their forces. When the Rani heard these
words, she moved towards the forest west of Gadha. She then came
into another forest north of Gadha, and wandered about slowly in
those deserts. At last she came to Narhi which is east of Gadha.
It is a place very difficult for ingress or egress. On four sides there
are sky-high mountains, and there is a river in front called Gaur. On
another side is the furious river, the Narmada. The ravine formed
by the passage of the river and by which access is attained to the
village is very narrow and awful. Asaf khan, who, on hearing that
the Rani was approaching, had halted at Damoh, completely lost news
of her, and though he sent out persons to make inquiries, yet, as the
country was of an extraordinary nature, he could get no information.
At last, he advanced in person to Gadha and proceeded to bring the
villages and hamlets into subjection. When he got news of the
Rani, he left a force in Gadha and hastened after the Rani. When the
Rani heard of the army's approach, she called together her officers
and held a council. She said that if they thought of going to some
other place till her forces were collected, it would be proper to go
there, but that her own inclination was to fight. How long was she
to shelter herself among trees? Whoever liked to go might do so.
They had leave. There was no third issue to her warfare. She made it clear - "Either
she would fall or she would conquer". At last all her men — there were
about 5,000 collected — set their hearts on fighting. Next day the
news came that Nasir Muhammad, Aq Muhammad and a large force
of gallant men had taken by force the head of the ravine which was
the road of access, and that Arjun Das, who was the faujdar
of the elephants (i.e., Rani Durgavati's commander), had bravely lost his life there. "

Ruins of Singauragarh. It was here that the initial battle was fought between the Mughal forces and the general of Rani Durgawati - Arjun Das.

On Rani Durgawati's Call, Gondwana Rises as One Man Against the Mughals : We
saw how, in a short span, Rani Durgawati was successful in gathering
and
raising her forces from 500 to 2000 to 5000, solely on the basis of her
personal confidence and her undying spirit of resistance to the Mughal
aggression. Gondwana rose as one man to meet the aggression. Rani
Durgawati's soulful exhortations in the name of self-respect and justice
brought tears to the eyes of her listeners, and they all swore to
defend the 'matra-bhoomi' (motherland) with every resource at their disposal. Her commander Arjun Das fell fighting with a much larger force of Nasir Muhammad and Aq Muhammed. Now, the
battle began between the Rani and Asaf Khan. The first day of the
battle belonged completely to the Rani. Asaf Khan was routed despite his much larger army. The Rani Enters the BattleAbu'l Fazl's
account of the initial engagement of the rival forces (near Jabalpur),
from the Akbarnama, makes for a very interesting reading -"
The Rani put armour on her breast and a helmet on her head and
mounting her stead slowly advanced to encounter the heroes who
were eager for battle. She said to her soldiers : "Do not hasten,
let the enemy enter the pass and then we shall fall upon them from
all sides and drive them off." It turned out as she anticipated,
and there was a great fight. Many on both sides fell to the dust,
and 300 Mughals quaffed the wholesome draught of
martyrdom. The Rani was victorious and pursued the fugitives,
and emerged from the ravine. At the end of the day, she summoned
her chief men and asked what they advised. Each man spoke
according to his understanding and courage. "

Statue of Rani Durgawati in Traditional War Armour with Sword and Shield, Madya Pradesh

A
'Himalayan Tactical Blunder'* Jeopardizes the Future of Gondwana"The Rani said we
ought to make an attack this night, and finish off the enemy.
Otherwise Asaf Khan will come in the morning in person and
take possession of the pass, and will fortify it with artillery. The
task which is now easy will become difficult. No one agreed to this
proposal.At last she yielded to the majority and retreated by the
way she had come, and occupied herself in comforting those of her
people who had been orphaned.** When she came to her house, she proposed the night-attack to some of her devoted followers.
Not one of them could equal her in courage.When it was morning,
what the Rani had foreseen occurred. Asaf Khan came with his
artillery and fortified the entrance to the pass, and the victorious
army entered the mountains. The Rani in her eagerness for battle
mounted on a lofty and swift elephant which was the best of her
animals, and was called Sarman, and came out. She drew up her
forces, distributed the elephants and prepared for battle. "{Note:*
- Though i called it a blunder, the generals of the Rani were true to
the Rajput traditions of warfare. Fighting after sun-set was not
considered ethical according to Rajput customs of warfare. But, in my
opinion, such customs should be followed only with those enemies who
ALSO follow the same customs of warfare. Hence, i feel that Rani Durgawati's
stand was practical.** - This act of Rani Durgawati taking care of the wounded and the orphaned at night reflects a lot about her magnanimous personality.}

Raja Bir Narayan Faces the Mughals Gallantly"After the
armies had encountered, the work passed from arrows and muskets
to daggers and swords. Raja Bir Narayan, the Rani's son, who was the
nominal ruler, behaved bravely, and performed great deeds. Shams Khan Miana*, and Mubarik Khan Biluc fought bravely. The battle
raged till the third watch of the day, so that if it was fully described
the account would be a long one. Three times Raja Bir Narayan repulsed
the victorious army but the third time he was wounded. {*
- Shams Khan Miana was an old enemy of Rani Durgawati, whom she had
defeated along with Baz Bahadur earlier. This time he joined hands with
the Mughals to eliminate the Rani.} When the
Rani heard of this, she ordered trusty men to remove him from the
battlefield to a place of safety. They obeyed the command and
carried him off to a retired place. On this account, a great many
left the field of battle, and the Rani's troops were much discomfited.
Not more than 300 men remained with her. But there was no
weakening of the Rani's resolution, and she continued to wage hot
war alongside of her own gallant followers."

The First Arrow Hits the Rani"An arrow from the bow of
fate struck her right
temple*, and she courageously drew it out and
flung it from her. The point remained in the wound, and would not
come out. "{* - The Persian text said - 'Shaqiqa' . It means the place between the eye and ear.}The Second Arrow Leaves Her Unconscious"Just then another arrow struck her neck. That, too, she
drew out with the hand of courage, but the excessive pain made
her swoon. When gradually she recovered her senses, she addressed
Adhar, who was of the Bakhila caste and was distinguished for courage
and devotion and who was riding in front of her on the elephant."

Rani's son get wounded and is removed from the battlefield .. Despite being heavily outnumbered she puts up a gallant fight.. An arrow strucks her near the eye and ear .. She pulls it out and continues fight .. Another arrow strucks her in neck..This time she faints..Finally, she stabs herself to avoid capture by the enemy..

The
wounded Rani asks her servant to kill her because she does not want to fall into the
hands of the enemy. The servant offers to rescue her from the
battle field. Hearing the thought of "leaving" the battle field, the
Rani gets angry and stabs herself."She
said to him - "I ever laboured to educate and consider you in order that
one day you might be of service. Today is a day in which I am over­come
in battle, God forbid that I be also overcome in name and honour,
and that I fall into the hands of the enemy; act like a faithful
servant, and dispose of me by this sharp dagger."His true heart
could not do anything so hard-hearted. He said - "How can I bring
my hand to do this thing. How can the hand which has held your
gifts do such a dreadful deed. This I can do: I can carry you away
from this fatal field. I have full confidence in this swift elephant."When the Rani heard these words, which proceeded from soft-heart­edness,
she grew angry and reproached him, saying, "Do you choose
such a disgrace for me?" Then she drew her dagger, and herself
inflicted the blow, and died in virile
fashion. A large number of
her devoted followers fell in her service, notably Kannur Kalyan
Bakhila, Chakarman Kharcali, Jahan Daakit and Maharakhs
Brahman Thakur. A great victory was gained."

Statue of Rani Durgawati with her Son Bir Narayan, at Mandla

Account of the Battle by Badayuni:Badayuni writes in his usual orthodox manner:"Rani Durgawati came against Asaf Khan
with 20,000 horse and foot, and 700 powerful elephants, and fought
an obstinately contested battle. Many valiant souls on either side,
after striving and struggling beyond all limit or measure, at a
message from some arrow or pitiless sword, vacated their bodies.
An arrow hit the queen in a mortal part, and when she was
on the point of death, she signed to her elephant-driver to put an
end to her agony. Nevertheless the tricks of her bad luck did not
deliver her from ruffians. Ah yes!—

"Every foul fetid beast, Finds his foul fetid feast:"

[and again]:

"A Christian's well may not be pure, it's true ; 'Twill do to wash the carcass of a Jew!"

Asaf Khan marched against Chauragarh, and the son of the afore­said
queen, after fighting for his life, joined the queen*. So much
treasure fell into the hands of Asaf Khan and his soldiery, that the
Creator alone is competent to compute its amount.*
- Badayuni hints sarcastically that the Rani, being a woman, was weaker
in comparison to Asaf Khan, a man, and that Raja Bir Narayan
joined the company of such 'weak' creatures after his death. This
orthodox tone is
typical of Badayuni."Account of the Battle from Tabaqat-i-Akbari:

I am presenting the scans here :

Her End:

Thus
died Rani Durgawati — brave, fearless, and faithful to the end to the
norms of chastity set by her dynasty. Her example spurred her followers
to perform deeds of incredible valour. One
of them carried her body beyond Asaf Khan's reach despite a virtual
wall of steel that surrounded the remnants of the defeated army. Fire
reduced her to ashes before the Mughals knew where she was.

This painting depicts the heroic death in battle of Rani Durgavati, ruler of the Gondwana Kingdom of Middle India, in 1564. She was a princess of the renowned Chandel dynasty of Mahoba, and ruled Gondwana (now included in the state of Madhya Pradesh) as regent for her son Bir Narayan. She was a capable and benevolent ruler as well as being a courageous leader. Her army consisted of 20,000 cavalry and 1,000 elephants, and had repelled other attacks on the kingdom, but her forces were defeated by the overwhelming size of the Mughal army. This picture shows the event of her death. I have marked the location of Rani in this paintinge with a red color locating pointer on the left - middle. The two arrows which she sustained on her body are clearly painted here.

Ruins of Rani Durgawati's Fort - Madan Mahal

Ruins
of the Madan Mahal Fort. Picture shows the underground chambers, which
served as a safe barrack for the soldiers and a storehouse of ammunition
and other precious articles.

Interior of the above-mentioned chambers in the Fort of Rani Durgawati

Aftermath of Death of Rani Durgawati...Jauhar and Saka in Chauragarh :The battle was
not yet over. The son of Rani Durgawati, though badly wounded, would not
surrender before the superior numbers of his enemy. Asaf Khan rushed to
lay siege to the fort at Chauragarh. When it became clear that the fort
could not be held for long, the ladies of the royal family and wives and
daughters and other female relatives of the nobles marched solemnly to a
pre-arranged enclosure for mass participation in the ceremony of the
Rajputs called Jauhar.To two
high-ranking officers of the Raja's court—Bhoj Kaith and Mian Bhikari —
was given this grim charge to protect the ladies from the reach of the
enemy soldiers till Jauhar was conducted. When the women had taken their
assigned places, the pyre was lit. The flames leapt skyward, consuming
in a few fateful moments the cream of Gondwana's womanhood. Not a
shriek, nor a moan, nor a wail was heard outside. The belief that their
self-immolation would enhance the glory of womanhood sustained their spirits. The
remaining of the warriors rode out to sell their lives in the ultimate
battle, which, in Rajput tradition is known as Saka. The wounded Bir
Narayan put up a 'strong resistance' and died fighting. The gates of the
'arena of death' {place where the Jauhar took place} were opened by Asaf
Khan's men. When they entered the area, a miracle had happened. Two of
the prettiest princesses were found alive under a log the raging fires
left untouched. One was Kamlawati, sister of Rani Durgawati, and the
other Ruprani, a princess of Pargadha who was engaged to be married to
Raja Bir Narayan, who had just died fighting. Both were sent to Agra.
Akbar was delighted to have them, and gave the pair a place in his
women's residential quarters (harem).

The fight was not yet over..Jauhar and Saka take place in Rani Durgwati's capital after her death .. Chauragarh fights till the last man..

Rani Durgawati Memorial at the Battlefield

A close view of the slab depicting the place where Rani Durgawati laid down her life for her motherland / matrabhumi .

Samadhi of Rani Durgawati

Statue of the favorite elephant of Rani Durgawati - Sarman - near her samadhi

Dazzled by the Rani's Treasure, Asaf Khan Rebels Against AkbarAccording to Abul
Fazl, a 1000 elephants and a lot of other booty fell into the hands of the
imperial forces. The wealth of gold and precious stones in the castle
dazzled Asaf Khan's eyes. An underground strong room contained, besides
:

a. treasures of ancient gold and silver ornaments, b. coined and uncoined gold, c. decorated utensils, jewels, pearls,
figures, pictures, jewelled and decorated idols, figures of animals made
wholly of gold, and other rarities. d. Among the goods and treasures of Rani Durgawati's kingdom were one hundred jars (deg)
full of ashrafis(gold coins) of Khilji period.

There were also other things which
could not be calculated. The Tajik* in Asaf Khan was stirred, and he decided
to keep this vast hoard of riches for himself.* - A tribe of Central Asia

Akbar receiving
spoils of war from his general Asaf Khan in Jaunpur in 1565.
Akbar's encampment is shown outside the walls of a fort on a river bank. Asaf Khan brought only some of the spoils for Akbar as mentioned by Abu'l Fazl.Depicts Akbar receiving spoils of war. Akbar sits on a travelling
throne inlaid with ivory beneath a red canopy outside the walls of a
fort on a riverbank.

Driven
by his greed for the unimaginable wealth of the Rani, Asaf Khan forgot
his loyalty to the Mughal empire and rebelled against Akbar. Some token
gifts were sent to
Agra in the hope that the known poverty of the region would not make the
Emperor suspect his honesty. Akbar was, however, quick to perceive the
duplicity of his general. It did not take Akbar
long to bring him to the path of obedience.

This painting depicts Shuja’at Khan pursuing Asaf Khan on the River Ganges. Asaf Khan was vizier to the Mughal Emperor Akbar. But after the war with Rani Durgawati, kept treasure that the Mughal forces had seized during the successful campaign in 1565. He tried to flee with his supporters across the Ganges, where Akbar’s forces, led by the general Shuja’at Khan, caught up with him. A fierce confrontation followed, depicted in this illustration, but Asaf Khan escaped. In 1567, he re-joined the court and he was straight away sent to lead the Mughal army at the battle of Chittor , details of which have been posted on this blog.

Legacy of Rani Durgawati:Rani
Durgavati fought all her life to safeguard the independence of her
kingdom. She will always be immortal as an epitome of sacrifice and the undying spirit of a woman. She was a rare woman, who faced all odds despite the difficulties infront of her. She was widowed at a young age, with a young child and inherited a kingdom surrounded by hostile neighbours, and her rest is already present in this post.

Postal Stamp by Government of India, 1988 - Rani Durgawati

There are many authorities who have paid homage to this great lady in different manners.

a. Her death anniversary, 24th June, is celebrated as Balidan Diwas (Martyrdom Day). b.
Rani Durgawati Museum is a museum situated in Jabalpur city in Madhya
Pradesh state of India. It houses a fine collection of sculptures,
inscriptions and prehistoric relics. The museum is dedicated to the
memory of Rani Durgavati.c. In 1983, Jabalpur University was renamed as Rani Durgawati Vishvavidyalaya in her honour.d. The Government of India paid its tribute to her by issuing a postal stamp
commemorating her death, on 24 June 1988.e. Indian Railways named a train as the Durgavati Express
(Jabalpur - Jammutawi) after her. f. In July 2015, the Indian Coast Guardcommissioned 'ICGS Rani Durgavati', an inshore patrol vessel, which was named after this legendary queen.

Epilogue:

A. Balancing Rocks of Jabalpur

The famous "Balancing rocks of Jabalpur", situated just
on the base of the hill. It is said that these balancing rocks had survived the
impact of an earthquake of magnitude of 6.5 on the Richter scale. It
is similar to the "Krishna’s butter ball" at Mahabalipuram. Since,
these are mainly volcanic rocks, it can only be anticipated that the
rock would have been present, since the time of Rani Durgawati. This is the same pair of rocks about which Major General Sir Williams wrote, in his homage to Rani Durgawati in 1835 - mentioned at the starting of this post.

B. Some interesting details about Chandel Rajputs:

Rani Durgawati was from the clan of Chandel Rajputs. They ruled in the area around Bundelkhand which is famous for the battle
between the last Rajput Emperor of Ajmer and Delhi, Prithviraj Chauhan and Alha-Udhal, in 1182 AD. Her early
ancestor Vidhyadhar Chandel and his father Gandh Chandel were the only
rulers of Hindustan who were able to successfully resist the invasions
of Muhammed Ghazni in the 11th Century. They fought against him in 1019 AD
and it was a mutual agreement between both the sides to cease the
hostilities. Chandel Rajputs are credited with the construction of the UNESCO World Heritage Site - the Khajuraho Temples, which are built in accordance with the Hindu and Jain traditions in the periodbetween 950 and 1050 AD.
The Moroccan traveller Ibn Batuta, who visited India in 1335 AD,
mentions the destruction of the Khajuraho temples by the rulers of Delhi
Sultanate in his account Riyalat-i-Ibn-Batuta. Of the original 85 temples,
only about 20 exist today.Picture of one such temple is shown below.

Kandariya Mahadeo Temple - Khajuraho Group of Monuments : A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ceiling of Kandariya Mahadeo Temple

Architecture of the Khajuraho Temples..Courtesy : Wiki Commons

References:

This
post has been prepared from the English translation of 3 historical
accounts. 85% of the post is from Akbarnama. Scans have been included at
appropriate places.1.Akbarnama, Volume - II, Page 323 - 333
Calcutta, 19212.Al-Badouni, Volume - II, Page 66-67
Calcutta, 18983.Tabaqat-i-Akbari, Volume - II, Page 294-296
Calcutta, 1936

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